Thanks for uploading. I'll be renting a vacuum like that now that I know it exists! I removed my attic insulation by hand with garbage bags and a dust pan, and shop vac. Would have saved me days of worked had I seen your video first. Great work!
You also want to have pieces of plywood to put on top of the beams so you can sit on top of and not fall through the drywall ceiling. Also knee pads make the project a lot easier.
So we have a water leak ran fixed by an old friend that retired off dealing with these leaks and more. So now I’m here looking at this to help my pops do it or selves to put new insulation because rats were the problem too.
Love your humor! Removed a huge portion of mine as cats have used it as a litter box. Luckily I only needed a few areas removed as the new insulation will go on the ceiling. I bought a Bauer shop vac and wow what a help. I liked your idea with the PVC pipe and myself included tried the rigged extension from the vacuum and it too didn't work in tight spaces. My knees and butt hurt for days after crawling around the trusses and balancing on them.
@@Jay_Schmidt yeah I watched his video on doing by this and became curious of just doing the job myself. Didn’t realize you could rent those vacuums. The job sucks but the labor is the first best way to save on cost.
Oooon, the build show! Haha, yeah, Matt Reisinger has helped me kick some home renovation projects into gear too. If i ever hit the lottery, I'm getting that dude to build my house. 👍😁
Did one house removing the old blown in insulation with a vacuum cleaner with a 2.5" long hose. Didn't need to rent special equipment. The second house after moved in, removing the old blown in was just to hard and time consuming. Maybe getting old. Plus the pink stuff was only 2" thick, really no insulation at all. Lay on top unfaced R38 batt, huge difference. This winter much warmer without using so much energy. Watch out protruding nails from the roof, got me a few times and maneuvering between ceiling joists, at times on all fours getting into the corners really tiring.
I did this last weekend. It was a nightmare. I got the most crazy violent static electric shocks from the end of the PVC pipe; the pipe I had was shorter so more maneuverable. Helpful hint, the machine can be grounded using jumper cables from the machine to the mental frame of a car. Wish I had known that.
Oh man, you did this at a rough time of year. My pvc was 4 foot; I made it so long becuase my pitch was quite low. I'm glad it worked out for you! I did feel the hose getting charged. Luckily I not got shocked 😅.
In one week, I'm having this done. I hired a local company. After they remove the loose-fill insulation from my old brick ranch (which has a walkable attic), I'm going to let the house "breathe" for a month or so, before I put the new insulation in. It might sound nuts to some folks, but just about everything "fails" after a certain period of time, and if it doesn't fail, it gets filthy. Insulation is no exception.
I hope the weather isn't too cold while the insulation is out! If I may make a suggestion, it would be the perfect time to foam around seams in the joists, around light fixtures, and around wires going through the top plates. Im sure someone would be willing to do the work for it. It would stop a lot of air leakage before you reinsulate!
This is exactly what I’m doing. Renting a unit just like yours so it helps tremendously to see it done correctly with the hurdles usually accompanying projects. Thanks for taking the time to document and make available to us. The insulation looks like rock wool. Did you have any issues with clogging? Did you have to get it tested before removing?
Mine was rockwool so I didn't test it. The unit did clog a bunch of times which is hlwho having someone to help is a great idea. They can chase clogs so you don't have to get up and down into the attic.
This is what I'm getting ready to do. The blown in insulation on mine looks like chopped up cardboard about 2-6", and there is 4" rolled insulation under that. But,,,, I need it out of the way to run some new electrical and duct from the bathroom fan the previous owner just vented into the attic.. (so annoying) Going to try to do this over the winter because it's just too hot to attempt this during the summer.
Damn Dude! Very well done and informative vid. I have similar insulation which NEEDS to be removed and i ain't lookin' forward to the task. The ONE thing that may help is that my attic has a little height to it. Im very close to six feet tall and i can stand straight up and walk around up there, with the exception of a few supprt beams which i have to duck to get by em. Thanks again, your vid is helpful.👍
Brilliant demo, nice and clear presentation. Good to see a professional perfectionist at work. That's one hungry snake you're using. We have old fiberglass insulation in our attic here in Middlesbrough UK. Fortunately, I was able to pull it out carefully and roll it up keeping all the dirt and debris inside and then put it into large bin bags. These days there is a type wadding that is being used. Just roll it out down the slot isles, there are also insulation boards if you prefer. Thank you.
Great job especially doing it during the cold months. I have got to do mine during summer today it’s supposed to be 97 in central Louisiana. To make things even better I’m a plus sized man (fat guy)
Haha I have had my fair share of attic empties. It's a nasty job especially with critter infested attics and cellulose. Great video and thanks for sharing. I'm just starting my own attic insulation channel.
@@Jay_Schmidt haha no kiding, I've done some that are 2000sqft. I'd like your input honestly on my channel, maybe you may even learn some ideas when you reinsulate.
@@efraingutierrez9539 technically yes, but I wouldn't. It's pretty nasty stuff once it has been in the attic for so long; there is likely mouse drippings and urine mixed in. Buying loose-fill is cheap, so go ahead and buy new stuff.
If I can find a vac I’m going to do it as well, your excellent video gave me the confidence! I notice you switched gloves, guessing the first pair was too bulky
I got the bags from the rental store, but you also get them from Amazon. They were something like $10-$15 per bag, if I remember correctly. Let me know how it goes!
I hope all of you in Texas are doing okay! My prayers are for all of you. Please, keep your spirits up and let’s rebound from this the best we can! God bless 🙏
Thank you for your concern. Me and my family were not affected too badly by this weather; I've only had to fix a few pipes. If you know anyone in the Texas panhandle in need of help, send them my direction.
Nice video, however I wish you would have shown what happens where the bags get attached? Where did you get the bags? How do they attach? Hiw do you know when they are full? Where did you dispose of the insulation?
The bags attach by sliding the end over a sleeve on the vacuum and securing with a latch. I got the bags from Amazon (link in description). I filled them about 80% full. I eventually loaded them on the trailer and took them to the dump.
The insulation that you removed, is that sheep wool? We have the same thing in our attic. We are now trying to access what is needed to replace it as it all very very old and dusty.
Yes, this stuff is pretty itchy. Cover up when working around insulation and wear your protective gear. I haven't insulated yet, but I plan to either come back with more rockwool or a product called milex.
Of ALL places, the eave areas needed to be sucked out!! I ASSUME the house has ventilated eaves... vital for many reasons, and they, above all, need to never ever be choked off with anything. (Also keep area around canned/pot lights clear. I know someone who had extensive fire damage due to covered with insulation ones.
Nice job! I’m trying to get my ac unit serviced in attic and on failed attempt #3. This time place that added blown in insulation didn’t carve a channel so the ac tech can see where they are going. Would you recommended like maybe a 18-24” wide channel to the ac unit? It’s not a straight shot but maybe as much of a path as possible visible so techs can service it
Instead of removing the insulation, add some 2x4 or 2x6 on edge and bridge it with some 3/4 plywood. Look online for adding a service platform to an attic. There are specifications for them you can follow. 👍🏻
Yep I’ll give you a thumbs up it’s a dirty job but someone’s got to do it and if you can do it on your own and save yourself some money why not. Then you can say, Yah I did it. ✅
But I have to say, the removal of the drywall, plaster and lath of the entire house is dirty enough. Let someone deal with the insulation and get dirty. 🥵
@@kthax308 Yes, it's dirty and uncomfortable. To out things in perspective, I saved around $1000 for crawling around in the mess for a few hours. It was a trade I was willing to make.
The two story section of my house is 3/12 hip style so I’m in the minority that is even more cramped. 😩. I dream of renovating my attics. My single story section is 3/12 regular style ranch, that is 40’ across so much more room to move up there. That actually interior house section is only 34’ or so with very large overhangs giving some decent room at the edges.
@@Jay_Schmidt I need to seal about 20 recessed lights and multiple electrical lines, interior wall studs, registers, returns, etc etc..and rather than raking it away and moving it back I thought it would be easier to remove it all at once and then replace it (in addition to more). It's Corning blown-in fiberglass, about 7 years old, and seems to be in great shape. About 9" across nearly 4000 sq ft. so a not-insignificant amount.
I thought I was the only one with such a tight attic space (that no one wants to work in). I am thinking of raising the roof just so workers (hvac, electricians, etc) can get up there.
Oh wow, a recent(-ish) bid on something I’ve been thinking of doing. I think my blown in cellulose is wet from missing boots (yes!! Just freestanding terminations), previous hail storm, rats and squirrels, old K&T, drip edge behind gutter so water hitting the fascia, plugged up the vented soffit baffles... moisture extravaganza... wish they’d done some work when they did the roof 4 years ago... Anyway! Keeping in mind COL, what would you say this cost you for the rental and how many days labor for all work?
Wow, 4 years is a long time to have rain coming into the attic space. Did you get any drywall damage on the ceiling or rot? The cost of the rental was roughly $75 and I spend $36 on bags. If I remember correctly, it took me around 10 hours to do with someone assisting me (keep in mind, I was also videoing which slows you down). If I had a taller attic or less ducts in the way it would have gone faster. Ducts were a disaster in my attic. I had to crawl under and over them on my belly the entire time.
Jay Schmidt I don’t see any visible damage, but the flashing at many of the windows has failed (replacing them, repairing gutter/soffit/fascia too.... lots of repairs....). Luckily I have space in the attic, especially since there’s rigid ductwork. I’m just scared of how gross it is up there 😬 but I have to be careful with the wiring.
@@MoOoNiEz I understand "lots of repairs" 😂. If the wiring is done right you shouldn't have much to worry about. If you're stepping on the joists in the attic you should be fine; just don't go putting pressure on the wiring. You could always flip off power at the breaker while working in order to be safer. I did that while removing the drywall and was glad i did. That's my 2 cents.
1) I'm not sure about the bag size. They were maybe 400 gallons? 2) It took 2 days, probably 8 hours of vacuuming. Would have taken a lot less if I had better hoses and a taller attic. 3) Around 30x40. It is a small house.
Hey Jay, I bought a house built in 1946, the insulation is disgusting and black, haven’t tested it but I would assume it has asbestos. I removed about 1/4 of the total amount of the insulation already, by hand since it’s not the blowout insulation but the one cut into squares type of thing. Anyway, I’ve put the 1/4 of it in contractor heavy duty bags from Home Depot. This is my first time buying a house to rent and trying to learn as I go with all the renovations (just signed up to you’re channel for help). I did wear all my protective gear. My question: Should I get someone profesional to deal with it since it could possibly have asbestos? Or am I fine as long as I’m wearing the correct PPE? Also, where am I supposed to dispose of the insulation which may possibly have asbestos? I would truly appreciate your guidance. Thanks in advance!!!
Please get it tested. You don't want to be digging around in that stuff if it is asbestos. You can send off samples and get results back for around $30-$50. If it is asbestos, I would recommend either hiring a company that specializes in the disposal, or reading and following disposal regulations TO THE LETTER. It may not be difficult to do, but you have to be meticulous with stuff like this.
This is a high-powered insulation vacuum. There is a bag attached to the outside to collect the insulation and filter the air. It's not perfect but does collect most of the dust. When working with hazardous materials, there are different vacuums required which have HIPA filters to remove all particulates from the air.
The bags go to the dump/landfill. You can search "equipment rentals near me" to find a local company. Places like Sunbelt Rentals, Rayburn (local to me), or even a home depot may rent them.
Places like Sunbelt Rentals and United Rentals should be able to hook you up. Look for a local equipment rental company in your area and compare prices.
@@Jay_Schmidt yes please much appreciated thank you. Also can you share any ideas or recommendations on how to measure or determine if adding the self made I joists you made and adding the plywood on top with materials like boxes will cause any weight issue to the structural integrity of the home?
Can you share approximate cost to rent this industrial vacuum & approx time it took to get it all out? I live in a 1960s home. My Dad & I went up to the attic to install new exhaust fans in the bathrooms & the insulation was absolutely disgusting. All of it needs to be taken out, but we're on a tight budget. Any inside info would help so much!
Of course! I rented the vacuum for $75 a day, and it took around 8-10 hours to do it all. Keep in mind that this was a TIGHT space to work in where I was on my belly the whole time so I took a ton of breaks.
@@Jay_Schmidt Wow! Thank you so much for the quick response! That helps so much! It's a very tight fit in our attic as well. This info makes the task not seem quite as daunting. Thank you so much Jay.
You may be able to use a cheap dust collection vacuum from somewhere like harbor freight if you have cellulose or another light-weight blow in insulation. I recall seeing someone do this before. I haven't tried it, so I can't say how well it works.
I’ve been wanting to do this for a while now but I don’t want to rent and lug around all that stuff! I wonder how long it will take me with my 3 gallon harbor freight vacuum using 1 1/2” tube haha might be better to do it by hand with some leaf scoops! Update coming 2025
Update: 3 gallon vac worked okay but had to be emptied every 2 minutes…not happening. Stuffing bags by hand wasn’t that bad getting big clumps but fitting bags through attic door is issue and of course still having to get the remnants with a vacuum anyways. Flip side, using 1000 smaller bags not ideal either exponentially more time consuming. This is the best way so far for anyone watching 😂 Although, I think HIRING SOMEONE ELSE will be way easier
Holy cow, I thought you were kidding about using the shop vac, haha. What a champ. Your time and convenience are worth something, so spending $80-$100 to rent a vac is worth it. I do appreciate the update though 😆
Your furnace is having a flame roll out problem. It looks like a consolidated industries furnace which was recalled. You most likely have a crack in your heat exchanger.
If you need a temporary floor sit on that would work. I had some 2x6 planks I used to lay on periodically. It may not be nesr to make a permanent floor up there because it would limit the amount of insulation you could add back. I could be wrong there.
To not compress your insulation, Rip 2/6’s in half and glue and nail them to ceiling joists prior to blowing insulation. After lay plywood for attic storage or walk boards where you need them.
@@Jay_Schmidt the rockwoll today is in rolled batts and they say it dosn't compact, it's fire retardant, rodent resistant, and more easy to work with than fiberglass, blown in, or sprayed on types of insulation.
Yeah, but this stuff wasn't new, it was old blown in. The new stuff is great, I've used it. The old stuff was lose and had time the settle becuase it was flaked in a machine
I have an 83 year old house. And since it’s been snowing, I can tell that the attic isn’t very insulated. And my heating bill has gone up about $100 this last month. I do have some blown in insulation, maybe a few inches but I need advice on really what to do. Any way you can help?
A few inches is not going to cut it. In Texas are recommended range is our R30 to 60. That means at minimum you’re looking at about 10 inches of insulation. The upper end of that range will be closer to 20 inches
@@joshhaley43 I’m in Indiana. So I know mine has to be at a very high end with the R factor. Right now the floor has about 12 inches of blown insulation. I plan on renovating the attic soon so more batting will be added to the walls and roof pitch.
@@CoconutOasis sounds to me like you need to airseal the attic from the living space. You could head into the attic with a foam gun and seal your top wall penatrations. That would help a TON. look up "matt risenger insulation 2.0" for a good guide on that process. Also, Google "air tight attic access" to use a door jamb with a latch panel to keep air from moving in. These will also help your energy bill!
@@Jay_Schmidt thank you! But do you have any recommendation on what I can use to absorb smells after I remove the old blow in insulation? I read some people use a ton of baking soda. I want to ask for your suggestion
@@CoconutOasis honestly I haven't looked into that before. I hear ozone can help, but attics may not be confined enough to run it. Sorry I could be more help
You could, but that sounds even more dirty than straight vacuuming. That may be fine to get stuff out of the corners, but I do the whole thing that way
@Kristian M I loaded it on my trailer and took it there myself. If that's not an option for you, then a rental trailer or a small rollaway would be best.
I have a local equipment rental place in town. If you look up "equipment rental" you can find companies near you. United Rental or Sunbelt Rental has a wide spread across the US. The orange and blue stores won't likely have this.
